,
With the grid identical to the day before's race, we were ready to start the final race- except this time we didnt't have anyone in front of us. The only chance I had against Justin was to stay calm but on pace to capitalize on a possible mistake, while at the same time not allow Martin into a position to pressure me into going faster than I needed to.
Heading out for the formation lap for the final MPTCC race of the year, making for a cool shot.
With a clear track for the race start, all three of us fought for the entry to the first turn with similar acceleration.
Turn 2 hairpin, named “Off Ramp” at Buttonwillow Raceway, was frustrating because of the difficulty to match Justin's RWD platforms exit speed and traction. He had a clear advantage through the slow and medium speed corners that led onto straight-aways.
While Justin and I were battling it out, Martin kept pace while biding his time to spot a mistake from our battle.
The areas that Project EF had an advantage over the Rockstar Garage S2000 were: quick transitions, corners with apex curbs that required “jumping”, and under braking. As the race developed, I was able to strategize areas where I could possibly make a pass for 1st place. It eventually came in the form of a great run on the exit of “Phil Hill” leading into the brake zone of “Sweeper” where I over took for the lead position for a couple laps.
Unfortunately for me, I eventually hit some lap traffic that put me in an awkward corner entry position for the final turn- all while trying to defend against Justin. This resulted in me exiting wide and off track on the last corner.
With Justin now back in the lead on the front straight and my tires still shaking off the rocks and dirt from the off track excursion, I entered turn one with high speed to try and make up ground, only to find myself off track on exit- yet again- from the lack of overall grip.
Martin stayed close but couldn't make a pass with the brake pad knock back issue getting worse throughout the race. On the bright side, the oil return line held without fault.
Here is the on-board footage for Project EF during the final Sunday race. Enjoy!
The Motovicity Distribution Podium for Sunday Round 8
1st place Justin Taylor, Rockstar Garage S2000, $125 Motovicity Race Bucks awarded
2nd place Clint Boisdeau, MotoIQ Project Civic EF?, $75 Motovicity Race Bucks awarded.
3rd place Martin Gonzalez, MotoIQ Project G20, $50 Motovicity Race Bucks awarded.
With the MotoIQ Pacific Tuner Car Championship coming to a close for 2015, I learned so much and can't thank my fellow competitors for the help and close racing for my rookie season of wheel to wheel. Next year should be very interesting with more cars being built for both Tuner Under and Tuner Over classes. If you have any interest in building a car for the series, take a look at the steps here so we can see you on grid for 2016.
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